Get inspired: Examples

This page features some of the games that inspire us and we hope, in turn, will inspire you to create more great games on the Flash platform. Each month, we plan on highlighting a different game that demonstrates a good use of a certain feature, does something new or different with the Flash platform or is just a great example of a game that is fun to play.

Civilization Wars is real time strategy game where you try and take over the buildings of your opponent. Using shear numbers of people, spells, and special powers you drive your population to overrun the enemy. They game on each level provides for experience to be used to upgrade over 20 different bonuses. There are 99 levels to play and 3 civilizations for endless fun.

Why we like it

Controlling your various buildings is flows easy as you click and drag around the beautifully constructed maps and buildings. The civilization graphics are simple but distinct providing a feeling of attachment. The animations and sound help immerse you into the game play for loads of fun.

Small Worlds is a surprisingly immersive indie flash game by David Shute. The description is simple ("A short atmospheric game about exploring") as are the instructions (use the arrow keys to move, space or up arrow to jump). Your character is as simple as it gets - you're three red pixels starting off in a very small world. It's only once you start moving, exploring, do you realize that your little small world is not as small as it seems.

You start each world with your view zoomed all the way in, almost a microscopic feeling. As you explore, the camera pulls back to reveal the scope and the size of the world. Where many games scroll, in Small Worlds you always see the entire area that you have explored. What seems like simple pixel graphics turn out to be details of a much larger object (caves, domes, rivers, snowflakes, etc.). Each map has a glowing cube that "completes" the level, but even if you find the cube quickly you're still drawn to keep exploring every nook and cranny of the world, uncovering every little black pixel.

Why we like it

Is it art? Is it a game? All we know is Small Worlds is a great example of the spirit of indie flash developers and a unique, enjoyable way to spend 15 minutes exploring.

Dragon Age Journeys is a cool browser based Fantasy RPG. The game is played with the mouse, clicking on an area to move there, or an item to pick it up. For the most part, the gameplay is that of standard dungeon crawler so you’re not going to see a ton huge text bubbles with a bazillion conversation line to follow but there is enough story that you feel like you have context and goals. While the game is promo for the PC and console version it really plays like a fully featured game and as a bonus some of your items will move over to the full version.

Why we like it

For an RPG small delivered through the browser the gameplay is remarkably complete with skills, gear, treasures and quests. This little game packs a satisfying experience and storyline into a low friction interface and user experience really raising the bar on the quality of games that can be delivered in Flash.

With an eye patch, a hook for a hand and skull and cross-bones hat, Scary Girl certainly isn't your typical game hero. Nathan Jurevicius has created a delightful world full of cute, yet creepy characters (in a Tim Burton style of sorts), and turned that into an amazing platform-style game in Flash. Levels are expansive and challenging, and each level has a unique style that keeps you playing to see what's next.

Why we like it

Scary Girl shows us a rich and immersive experience delivered via Flash through the browser. Worlds are rich and vibrant and the illustrations are top-notch. You can tell the amount of work and love that went into developing and polishing this game. One of the most interesting elements: almost no words are used in the game. When Scary Girl "talks" to characters she meets on her journey, ideas are represented as pictures you select and their advice is illustrated for you, showing (not telling) you want to do.

Bunni: "How we first met" is an adorable little game from Andre Spierings and Daniel Cook. A resource management game with a simple plot: find the girl bunny and marry her. You're going to have to put some bunnies to work to collect wood and other items to build a habitat to impress your girlfriend and fill up your love meter. The interface is simple: point and click to drop forests, mines, workers, and food.

Why we like it

Bunni is a casual game with a clear goal and appeal to a broad age range. It is a simple and fun resource management game so you don’t need an economics degree to appreciate the game. Plus, the graphic are adorable. This game is a great example that shows rendering of a large number of objects, all with their own independent movements and actions.

Closure, is a unique platform-puzzle game that is delivered in the browser. Developer Tyler Glaiel has taken a clever mechanic and used it to produce an environment that is dark and chilling. The game is simple: where there is light, the world exists, where there isn't it doesn't. So if you're carrying a light orb, you can see the floor and walk on it. If you drop the orb and walk into the dark, you fall through. The objective is to find the door in the darkness that will lead you into the next room.

Why we like it

Its a challenging puzzle game with a great visual style, but it's also one of the first games we saw make use of Pixel Bender, a new feature that was introduced in Flash Player 10. It's the innovative way Pixel Bender is used—core to the game mechanic and visual style—that piqued our interest. The great game play and the story line kept us playing.